Make Room
by Ol' Boy Pacman
Summary: Raven's made peace with the idea of loving Beast Boy, but isn't sure of how to express or confess her feelings or if she should. She consults her mother during a visit to Azarath. Sister piece to 'Trigon the Benevolent. One Shot.


**A/N: I don't own Teen Titans**

A black-haired older woman lays down a plain white saucer with matching teacup, almost filled to the brim with warm herbal tea in front a purple-haired younger woman seated at a brown table. The young woman is dressed in black, long sleeved leotard, royal blue ruffled boots that reach ankle level and a gold belt with circular dark red gems embedded in it. There's also a hooded cloak that matches her boots sitting over the back of the chair she's seated in.

The older woman is dressed similarly to her younger counterpart, except her leotard, cloak and boots are colored white. She smiles fondly at the younger woman, which other than a little more roundness in her face, pale grey skin tone and larger eyes, is practically the splitting image of the older black-haired woman.

Older woman takes a seat directly across for the younger one, then starts to stir her own cup of tea.

"Boy trouble, dear?" Said the older woman before she took a sip. "I'm not really an expert on the subject, considering your father is the only man I've ever loved."

The younger woman's gaze is fixed to her tea, the cup being grasped by both of her hands. "It isn't trouble exactly. I know I'm sure of my feelings. It's more I'm terrified of what could happen if I confess." The younger woman droned in a monotoned voice.

The older woman giggles, "Again, Raven. It's not my area of expertise. Have you tried telling Garfield how you feel? Being straight forward with your father always worker for me."

"Mother! It's not that simple!"

The older woman giggles once more, "What's the worst that can happen, dear Raven?"

_It's amazing_, thinks Raven, _Lady Arella, spiritual leader of our people, laughing at her daughter's romantic plight._

The red faced, embarrassed Raven waits until her mother stops laughing.

"If I'm rejected, I could end the world, again." Raven said dryly.

"Oh, stop!" Said Arella, waiving her hand at her daughter. "Do you think Garfield feels the same?"

"That's the thing. I try not to pry on my friend's feelings, like you and Azar had taught me, but some of them feel so strongly I can't help but sense what they feel." Said Raven, running her hand through her hair in frustration. "Occasionally, when he practically begs me to hang out with the team, I catch his eyes and a very strong, very brief feeling of something underneath his friendly affection for me before he breaks contact. I'd imagine he'd been taught to dull his emotions by Mento, lest they run into an enemy who can use it against him. But, it's somewhat like the affection I feel from Starfire. It's confusing. Does he feel affection for me like a close friend or sister like Kori? What is he hiding beyond his friendly affection for me?" Said Raven, looking away from her mother. Raven takes a long sip of her tea, then re-establishes eye contact with Arella. "When did you know you and father were in love with each other?"

Arella smiles brightly once more at Raven, "It wasn't just one 'aha' moment. After he saved me from the Church of Blood, he arranged for me to stay with an ally of his. Even though Trigon wasn't around all the time, he still checked up on me, talked with me. And at that point in my life I didn't really care what happened to me after that betrayal by the Church of Blood. It didn't matter that I was comfortable around him or that I honestly thought he was handsome. When I confronted him about why he was being nice to me, he said something to the effect of, 'Speaking from experience, I can sense you need a friend.'" Her face takes a solemn expression, "I was lucky he reached out. I don't know what would've become of me had he not. It was around then the dynamic between us started to change. I started being receptive to his friendliness, we spoke about everything in length. I guess when I really noticed I was feeling something for him was during one birthday." Arella points to the jewel embedded in her forehead. "When I was a teenager, I got a fake a chakra stone put into my forehead. My foster father at the time didn't take kindly to that and violently tore the piercing out, leaving a scar on my forehead. As a birthday gift, Trigon healed the scar and embedded a real chakra gem in its place. It actually awakened empathetic and magical potential. I remember smiling at him with tears in my eyes and that gesture made me realize my feelings for him. He would later admit that it was my smile that day that made him realize his feelings for me as well." She finished with faraway look on her face, and a pink tint to her cheeks. "Much like how you described with Garfield, I occasionally catch your father watching me, not with eyes of something he wants, well, maybe with some want." She laughs.

"Mom, you're his peace, his rock. You keep him grounded when the emotional fragments become too much to bear." Said Raven.

"We both are, Raven. Do you remember when Trigon showed you his memories, dear?"

Raven nods in the affirmative, recalling the somber memory of find out her father's past.

"Your father's love… It's difficult to explain, but it's strong. Intoxicating even. It's burning hot, like a white star and comforting like a secure embrace. Is that what you sense with your brief glimpses from Gar?"

The young half-demoness nods meekly.

Arella gets up from her seat across from Raven. When she reaches her daughter, she lays a kiss to Raven's forehead. "Open your senses Raven. Have a little courage and tell Garfield how you feel. I have faith that you'll find what you're looking for."

After consulting her mother, Raven teleported back to Titans Tower. More specifically in her room.

From there she decided to make her way to the tower's kitchen area, having not had her fill of tea in Azarath.

The door to common/kitchen area hisses open and there's nothing but the blare of television to greet her.

Beast Boy pokes his head up over the couch to see who's graced him with their presence.

"Oh, it's you Rae!" He said in surprise.

She read his emotions with her empathetic senses.

_There it is_, she thinks.

Like many other times before, right beneath his friendly affection for her.

Comforting like an embrace.

Hot as the hottest of stars.

And almost strong enough to get high on.

_Love._

And just like that it's gone.

"Uh, Raven? You OK?" Says the changeling having interrupted her realization.

"Huh?" She said embarrassed having been caught staring. "Sorry," she mutters, pulling her hood up to hide her blushing face, "I must've spaced out. Where's everyone?"

Beast Boy throws his arm over the back of the couch to hold himself up, having been lying down previously. "Dates," said Beast Boy, a hint of sadness coming across his features, "Rob and Star are at the movies and Bee was in town and dragged Cy to grab a bite to eat. Seems everyone's getting together these days, huh Rae?" He finished with a smile that didn't quite reach his face.

She hums noncommittally as she makes her way to the cabinet to grab her kettle to warm some water for tea.

"_Poor baby," _intoned Happy. _"How much longer are we going to wait to confess? I can't stand to see my Beasty so sad!"_

With his feelings for her practically confirmed at this point, the empath racks her mind trying think of a way to confess without shattering all the windows in the tower.

While filling the kettle and putting on a flame on the stove, Raven's interrupted by yet another one of her emotoclones.

"_Remember what mother said, 'have a little courage.'"_ Said Brave.

An idea pops into Raven's head at Brave's declaration.

"_It's just crazy enough to work,"_ said Knowledge.

"_What if he isn't receptive to it?"_ Said Timid.

"_It has to! Who could deny what our Raven has planned!"_ intoned Affection.

With her plan in mind, Raven removes the kettle and pours the warm water into a waiting cup. She grabs two bags, throwing it into the cup, adds honey and takes a long sip.

"I'm going to need you, Brave," she said quietly before polishing off her tea.

The resident verdant shapeshifter is lounging the plush black leather of the living room couch, hands behind his head, enjoying a binge session of Bob's Burgers.

His enjoyment of the shenanigans of the Belcher family's interrupted, as Raven steps in his line of sight.

"Hey Rae, what's up?" He asked, not that he minded the view.

She stares down at him, determined look on her face. "Scooch," she said simply, waving her hand.

"Wha?"

"Make room for me, Garfield."

Gar motions to the couch, "Um, there's plenty of room on the couch Rae. I'll sit up to give you space, if you want."

She hums once more. She then unclasps her cloak, throwing it toward the other end of the couch.

A blush comes over the face of the shapeshifter at the rare sight of Raven without her cloak, the changeling more than pleased at the sight of the empath's shapely legs.

She cracks a rare smile at the changeling. "It's fine," she said simply.

Her next actions come as a great surprise Beast Boy.

She takes a seat on the edge of the couch, her rear touching his hip. She then swings herself around, laying her body on top of a half of his. She wraps an arm behind his neck, her other resting on his chest. She then entangles her legs with his, her right leg in between his, her knee falling just short of the most sensitive part of his anatomy. She wriggles around on top of him trying find a comfortable position. Once she finds comfort, she nuzzles his neck. Her lips are right by his pulse. If she had a mind to, she could…

"_No can do, boss!" _Yelled Happy. _"That's gonna take more courage and I hate to tell you, but this impromptu cuddle session took pretty much all we had."_

An image of her emotoclones standing over an unconscious Brave in Nevermore flashes in Raven's mind. The emotoclone has a dopy grin on her face and her cheeks are flushed as her head is cradled in Affection's lap, as the representation of love fans her off.

_Thank, Brave, you did us good. And thank you mother. _Thinks Raven.

"So, does this mean what I think it means?" Asks Beast Boy.

"Yes, it does, Gar."

"Well, in that case…"

Raven releases a yelp in surprise as she's repositioned by Garfield as he forcefully reconfigures their position.

Now, she's sitting across his lap, her legs on the couch, arms wrapped around his neck as he's sitting up regularly on the couch, her body pressed up to his.

"I think I might owe you a date, Raven."

She laughs at her changeling's declaration.


End file.
